Dynamic Hot Yoga, Hove, review

Dynamic Hot Yoga at Hove Business Centre.

By Sarah Jackson

Dynamic Hot Yoga is exactly what it says it is. That is, it’s a yoga class in a hot room, specifically a room heated to around about 30-36°C (not as hot as Bikram yoga, which whacks the thermostat up to 40°C). The idea is to replicate the internal temperature of the body, making it easier to stretch and encourage the body to sweat.

I’ve heard arguments both for and against these apparent health benefits, but I was personally keen to try Dynamic Hot Yoga for two reasons:

1) As a runner, I find that if I go for longer than a couple of months without doing any yoga, my muscles get so tight, I feel like I might start to roll up like a tape measure;

2) I’m not sure if you’ve been outside lately, but it’s really really cold. I have this idea that my body is like a storage heater, and that if I spend enough time in the warm, my bones will release the heat later when I’m colder (biology isn’t my strong point).

My instructor for the Saturday morning class was Sachia who, knowing that this was my first session, found me in the corridor before the class to go over some things. The main point was to take it easy and to try to stay in the yoga studio and not go out into the corridor, even if I felt a bit faint. “The floor out here is concrete,” she explained. Good point.

These instructions seem a little dramatic, but once you enter the studio they make sense. The heat hits you the way hot air rolls over you when you get off a plane in a tropical country. Getting your mat and towel laid out seems to sap your energy; soon you’re panting.

It can be incredibly intimidating to walk into a class like that. After all, when faced with temperatures of 30°C-plus, most of us are lying on a beach, not trying to do a back bend. But don’t panic! It is tough, but I honestly don’t understand the point of an exercise class if it’s not tough or fun, and Dynamic Hot Yoga was both those things.

Sacha was fantastic at explaining all the poses, demonstrating both beginners and advanced and walking around the class to ensure everyone was moving correctly. One of the things I love about yoga is that you’re not in competition with anyone else. I am supremely inflexible, but that doesn’t matter. Everyone is working to different levels. If your level is to simply sit in a hot room and watch, then go for it. Nobody else will care; they’re too busy trying to keep their own balance.

The studio has showers and changing rooms which are sorely needed after class – you will sweat in places you didn’t even know you had sweat glands. As well as drinking water throughout the class, I would recommend that you eat something after the class – a banana is perfect. The reception area also sells these, along with water and coconut water, as well as hiring yoga mats and towels if you don’t bring your own.

If you’re already practicing and fancy trying something new, or are entirely new to yoga altogether, Dynamic Hot Yoga is definitely something to consider. However, if you hate to sweat, I would stay away.

I left the class feeling energised, looser and a whole lot warmer. In fact, I stayed warm the entire way home, even though I had been freezing on my way to class. Maybe I am a storage heater, and I just needed hot yoga to warm me up.

Dynamic Hot Yoga is located in the Hove Business Centre, just behind Hove railway station. Information on classes and prices can be found here.

 

Cupcakes and Hotdogs at Vegfest UK Brighton

Ms Cupcake at Vegfest UK Brighton 2013. Photo: author’s own.

By Sarah Jackson

One of Europe’s biggest veggie events, Vegfest UK, came to Hove Town Hall last weekend. Over 250 stalls showcased a huge variety of vegan products, including clothing, accessories, beauty products and most importantly, food.

I’ve been a pescatarian (which means that the only meat I eat is seafood) for 13 years now and I can honestly say that I don’t miss poultry or red meat at all. The only thing that sometimes bothers me about my decision is the occasional lack of choice. If I go to a “normal” restaurant with friends, most of the menu is off-limits to me. On the one hand, this does mean that choosing my meal is quicker but it sometimes gets tiring to be left with the same old choices. I do love a nut roast, but it can get dull and that’s assuming that it’s a well-made one in the first place.

Yes, some vegan food isn’t great. But that isn’t a trait exclusive to vegan food only, as I’m sure we all, meat-eaters, vegans and pescatarians alike have had some less-than inspiring meals. But having restrictions in your diet for whatever reason doesn’t mean you have to give up on trying to make delicious food.

The stalls at Vegfest proved this time and again. There was a stall selling gummy sweets using a gelling agent made from lilypads instead of meat gelatine, raw chocolate made without any dairy, ice cream made from no cream and, perhaps most amazingly of all, a vegan doner kebab.

Vegfest UK Brighton 2013. Photo: author’s own

I didn’t try that one – the queue was too long – but I sampled plenty of chocolate (Moo-Free was my favourite) and ate one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever had from Ms Cupcake. Those cupcakes proved that although some vegan food is tasteless and healthy, some vegan offerings are the exact opposite.

The most exciting moment for me came when the friend I went to Vegfest with pointed out the stall selling vegan hotdogs. We both realised with some excitement that neither of us could remember the last time we had eaten a hotdog, bought from a stand. And now we were in a place where there were at least three separate stalls selling them! I’ve never particularly cared about hotdogs but dammit, now I wanted one badly.

As we stood in the queue to get one from V Bites (a vegan restaurant on Hove Lagoon owned by Heather Mills ), I remarked to the woman standing next to me that I wasn’t used to such choice.

‘Me neither!’ she said, her eyes shining. ‘I’ve had four lunches so far!”

Dietary restrictions can be a complete pain, whether it is because of an ethical decision or because your body is allergic or can’t digest a certain food group. It may be a restriction on your ingredients but it doesn’t have to be a restriction on creativity. Vegfest reminded me that it’s best not to focus on what I can’t eat and instead focus on the delicious things that I can.

There are other Vegfest’s occurring in London and Bristol later in the year, but I will definitely be going back next year, if only for that hotdog (which was, by the way, glorious).

More details about Vegfest UK can be found here.

One to Watch: Will Hall – Smith

By Sam Evans

Former Brighton College student Will Hall – Smith is destined for sitcom stardom after a pilot episode of his new comedy series, Gradulthood amassed thousands of views on you tube.

The short episode follows a group of unemployed university graduates as they struggle to find work in London, an idea which came to Will whilst looking for a job after he graduated from University.

“I remember thinking I didn’t want to spend my life in an office. I knew that I liked making films and decided then that that’s what I wanted to do with my life”, he recalls.

Will first started creating films when he was 11-years old where his interest grew over the years and started filming whenever he could. “They were all terrible to start with of course, but I learnt a huge amount very quickly by making so many mistakes”, he says.

It is obvious that Will has learnt a huge amount over a short amount of time. Several of his films have been played internationally and last year he co-produced a film starring Russell Tovey ( Of Doctor Who and Being Human fame ) at the age of just 22.

American shows such as Friends, How I Met Your Mother and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia all influenced Will when deciding to write a comedy as he says that the group of core characters in the series means that there lots of options for conflict between them.

The mini episode of Gradulthood was entirely self-funded £1,000, and he says that favours from friends and affordable equipment proved to be crucial.

The bulk of the pilot was shot at Will’s flat, something that he said was “challenging”, but concurred that they somehow made it work. “It’s actually a two bedroom flat so Tom and Ralph technically don’t have bedrooms…that could be a headache if we make episode two”, he adds.

In one particular scene, audience members see a character ‘black up’ in order to further his opportunity at a job interview. When asked if there was a possibility of an audience backlash, Will replies:

“I think that anything can be funny as long as what happens is justified by the characters and there is a strong sense of irony”.

” In this case I think it’s pretty clear that the character of Ralph isn’t racist – he’s just stupid and desperately wants to fit in with what he thinks Tom and Owen expect of him”.

With many touting Gradulthood as ‘the next big thing’, I feel it is only right to ask Will where he seems himself in the next five years.

“I’d like to think I’ll do an Edgar Wright and make a smash-hit sitcom and go on to direct features. Whether that’s realistic or not, I don’t know.

“All I do know is that I’ll still be making films and loving every minute”

You can view the pilot episode of Gradulthood by clicking this link -

m Evans

A New Journey: College

By Sam Peace

As the lone adventurer departed his transportation, he calmly walks a few paces before coming face to face with a street known as New Rd. The irony of this path reflects the beginning of our protagonist’s new journey. He takes his first strides towards land unknown to him with his only aim being: reach City College. His feet are greeted with lightly coloured bricks while the surrounding is filled with gleefully unique restaurants reminiscent of a foreign holiday. The vibrant setting is short lived however, due to the upcoming London-esque style of Jubilee St. This new passage is full of posh buildings made mostly of glass and black tiling. It’s the complete opposite to the experience just moments ago. Not stopping our traveller continues, soon a new route appears – Kensington St. A run down back alley with graffiti splashed over degraded buildings. It was an intimidating sight not suited for a night walker, thankfully though it was day.

Stepping onto the last road the explorer notices a towering sight in the distance; the destination is awaiting his arrival. Sydney Street is the last avenue; the last taste of freedom before the quest truly begins. Crammed full of quirky 20^th century boutiques, there are plenty of useful items available for purchase. But already fully prepared, the trekker marches towards the end of this short expedition. Arriving at the entrance he gazes upon the brick structure in front of him. Peering into the opening he takes a deep breath, and enters. What challenges lie within?

Mr and Mrs debate in Brighton and Hove

By Sam Evans

Brighton and Hove City Council are planning to remove Mr and Mrs titles from documents in a bid to respect the wishes of the transgender people within Brighton and Hove.

The Green Party led council came to the decision after they investigated into the transgender community of Brighton and found that many of them don’t want to be defined by their gender.

The Green Party are the largest party on the council with 23 of their councillors being elected across 10 wards and form a minority administration on the council.

It could be argued that the abolishment of the “Mr” and “Mrs” title is part of The Green’s visions of a fairer society to everyone’s needs but then again, they are also a party based on environmentalism and that didn’t stop them wanting to raise charges on city allotments last year.

Deputy Leader of the Greens, Phelim MacCafferty supports the plan and says “putting Mr and Mrs on a form is completely useless”. Councillor MacCafferty then goes on to say that he doesn’t understand why the titles “Mr” and “Mrs” are even there in the first place.

These views were also shared by LGBT activist Steph Scott who said that being called Mr and Mrs pigeonholes people.

The activist who defines herself as queergender – neither male nor female, also said the titles were outdated and welcomed the plan.

In contrast to this, Conservative Councillor for Hangleton and Knoll, Dawn Barnett labelled the plans completely ludicrous and asked “How are they going to address the letters properly?” Councillor Barnett then went on to say that it is just political correctness gone too far.

A few hours after the plans were announced, there has been a big debate among the local people with one Brighton and Hove resident commenting, “What about those who those of us who want to be addressed as Mr and Mrs on forms? Don’t we have any rights?”

Another resident expressed their support of the plan by saying” It is part of what living in Brighton and Hove is all about”, making reference to Brighton being well-known for its diversity.

The recommendations will be made in December, but with lots of opposition after only a few hours of the news breaking, it seems that the transgender community may have to feel defined by their gender a bit longer.

Concerns over dramatic fall in garden bird numbers

By Mathew Beech

Credit: Vytauto

The RSPB has revealed that the much-loved Starling and House Sparrow are fast disappearing from our gardens.

Results from the Big Garden Birdwatch 2012, which took place at the start of the year, have shown a near 80 per cent fall in the number of Starlings people are spotting.

The population of the birds is feared to have fallen to less than a third of what it was thirty years ago, while numbers of the House Sparrow have also shown a dramatic fall.

RSPB scientist Mark Eaton said: “The unmistakable flash of the glossy purple green starling is a familiar sight for many, but sadly it seems their numbers have dropped even further in this year’s survey.

 “We’ve been monitoring this decline and encouraging people to step up and help birds like starlings but we will also be conducting some scientific research into the exact reasons for these declines.

Brighton suffering from the Budget blues?

Chancellor fo the Exchequer, George Osborne.
Credit: Mholland

Mention the 2012 Budget to most people, and it’s unlikely to conjure excitement, but at the very least you might expect it to hold a certain morbid fascination. After all, when George Osborne and his colleagues squeeze the country’s spending and tinker with taxation, it’s we who are affected. But judging by the reactions of Brighton residents, it seems that a climate of despondency fostered by a prevailing economic insecurity means most people are not even interested in reading it.

Although many were unaware of the finer (some might say confusing) details of the document, there was a general perception that it is weighted unfairly, penalising the middle-classes and the vulnerable without even delivering the support to businesses that had been promised.

Sussex County Cricket Season Preview 2012

 

Photo By Loz Flowers

By Ian Walker

This year, the county cricket season will make it’s earliest ever start, the first fixture being played on April 5^th, with many of the top players across the league still out with international fixtures.

Sussex County Cricket has begun their pre season schedule, this week announcing the 15- man squad due to travelling to Dubai. The squad will again be led by Michael Yardy this year, as they look to better their 5^th place finish of 2011.

Head coach Mark Robinson, Shrewd and popular former Sussex medium-pacer will again be leading the squad this year. The man still holds the world record for 12 first-class ducks in a row, has been at the reins for seven years and is regarded as one of the best up and coming coaches.

A breadth of new additions this year to the one day squad, former Essex all rounder Scott Styris has joined the 2012 Friends Life T20 campaign.

Star all rounder Luke Wright, who missed out on most of last season with a knee injury, will also miss the start of this season after signing for IPL outfit Pune Warriors.

Despite star bowler Monty Panesar missing the first few games due to responsibilities with the England squad in West Indies, he will return to grace the PROBIZ ground once again.

Prediction for 2012: Fifth in Division One: Sussex lost an entire seam attack in Martin-Jenkins, Kirtley, Collymore and Arafat back in 2010.  They more than coped last year by exceeding prediction and finishing a solid 5^th.

 A strong spin-bowling attack featuring the prolific Monty Panesar and the leg-spinner Will Beer should again cause havoc at the wicket.

Meanwhile England keeper and all rounder Matt Prior along with newcomer Scott Styris should bring a much needed new dynamic to Sussex batting.

Martlets Hospice Appeal

By Donna Smiley

Martlets Hospice

Well known Hove based Hospice, the Martlets is holding a Will Writing  Fortnight in order to raise desperately needed money to help local people with terminal illness live their lives as fully as possible until the end.

The will writing scheme will see 12 local solicitors and will writers offering their services in return for a donation to Martlets.

The Martlets Hospice is only 29% funded by the NHS; the rest of the money is from donations, with a quarter of their income coming from donations left by people in their will.

Unfortunately due to the current financial market donations from wills has fallen dramatically over the last couple of years.

The will writing fortnight will take place from the 12- 23 of March, but bookings can be taken anytime from now.

Suggested Minimum donations are £75 for updating Codicil, £110 for a single will & £150 for a joint will, the rates are much lower than would be normally charged.

Readers can find participating solicitors by contacting Gary Moyle on 01273 747455, or email: gary.moyle@themartletshospice.co.uk

A list of the solicitors is also available in today’s edition (Thursday 8 March) of The Argus.

Brighton v Portsmouth preview

By Ian Walker

Without a win in two games, Gus Poyet’s Brighton are hungry to get back to their winning ways.  Saturday sees the Seagulls taking on bottom of the league, Portsmouth; fans will be looking for a similar result to the away fixture, considering Portsmouth’s poor form this season.

No new team news ahead of Saturday’s southern stand off, Brighton are still anticipating the return of full-back Marcos Painter who is steadily on the mend after his hamstring injury put him out 18 weeks ago.  Meanwhile, Spanish midfielder Vicente Rodriguez is still short of match fitness however could return depending on training this weekend.  Midfielder Gary Dicker is edging slowly back to fitness and could also feature at the Saturday on Monday.

Meanwhile, 50 miles down the road, beleaguered south coast Portsmouth are riddled with woe, after administrators signed off captain Liam Lawrence to Cardiff last week, their peril continues.   Star Nigerian forward Kanu is out with a back problem and Kelvin Etuhu is also set to miss out with his ongoing hamstring problem.

Last year’s clash saw the Seagulls come away with victory at Fratton Park back in August, record signing Craig Mackail- Smith scoring his first goal for the Albion.  Portsmouth will be looking to grind out a victory, after their terrible seven game streak without a win.

Brighton on the other hand, are also suffering recently, after their fantastic start to the season, the Albion have only one win in the last six, Gus Poyet will be looking to leading scorer Ashley Barnes to put the Gulls back into the playoffs.

Attempted robbery at the Offie off-licence in Hove

Sussex Police

An attempted robbery has been committed at the Offie off-licence in Hove at around 8.50pm on Tuesday, March 6.

 A man demanded the 43-year-old woman shop assistant to open the till, but she refused and told him she was calling the police.

As she reached for the phone the suspect ran off out of the shop in Queen’s Parade.

Detective Sergeant Steve French said: “It was extremely brave of the shop assistant to refuse to open the till, but we would always ask anyone being threatened to please put personal safety first.

Protests as council plans cuts to music and arts service

By Kayleigh Rose Lewis

Thousands of children are expected to be affected by the council’s proposal to cut funding to the Music and Arts Service by 100 percent over the next two years.

Thousands Sign Petition as Brighton’s Music and Arts Funding Faces Cuts

By Kayleigh Rose Lewis
Brighton and Hove’s music arts services, which have been rated outstanding for three years running, are facing cuts proposed by the city council.
Used under Creative Commons courtesy of Paul.

Council announces plan to recycle food waste

By Naomi Wilcock

Brighton and Hove Council is looking to apply a service that collects waste food after figures showed that 22,000 tonnes of food waste was thrown away in 2009/10.

Photo used under Creative Commons by Simon Carey.

Kicking the Right-On Out of Brighton

By Gordon Vader

What’s so bloody great about Brighton? Well get your googlies on Google and you’ll find no end of sucking up. “Great for Hen nights”, “great location for studying English”, “great place to live when you get bored of living in London,” but there used to be some real meat to this statement and more and more these days the gravy train has sucked it to the bone.

Brighton and Hove Prepare for Biggest Public Sector Strikes Since 1926

By S Silva

Two-thirds of Britons support the public sector strike on 30th November which is the biggest action taken since the General Strike of 1926.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons by blech